COVID-19 and Ultra-Processed Food: Is Coronavirus Mortality Rate Linked with Diet?

A research team of the Zoe COVID-19 identified that people who consume greater amounts of plant-based food have a lesser risk of about 10 percent from catching COVID-19. These plant-based foods comprise the actual greens and healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables. Even if it is hard to swallow, these types of food are necessary for our diet. Consuming plant-based foods can work with any person regardless of body mass, age, and social status.

Ultra-Processed Foods and Role of Calorie Intake in

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COVID-19 Pandemic

Plant-based food is full of vitamins and minerals that could help us increase the immunity in our bodies. And with a higher immunity rate, the stronger our body is against the deadly COVID-19. In a recent study, it was found that diet is associated with the mortality rates recorded under the coronavirus. However, experts emphasize that eating a spoonful of a plant-based meal is not the only way to get a healthy, up and running body. It was found that processed foods also play a part in the pandemic's death toll, Independent reports.

High consumption of foods with high sugar, fat, and salt contents, also known as ultra-processed foods, is obviously bad for the health. Maintaining the balance between nutrient foods over bad cholesterol intake is necessary. Basically, eating too much of something is an effortless ticket to add ourselves to the death toll.

The US National Institute of Health conducted research that shows the effects of an uncontrolled processed food intake and how we can benefit from balancing our diet. In a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism entitled "Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake," it was revealed that people fonds of eating processed food eat 500 calories daily than people who consume healthy food.

The study can be applied to the rates of death in the diabetic population during the pandemic. Too much calorie intake leads to high sugar. This activity is the root of obesity and insulin resistance, a condition present in people with type 2 diabetes.

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Diet, Microbiomes, and COVID-19

Ultra-processed foods have another devastating effect on our bodies. An irregular amount of unwanted composition targets our microbiomes. Microbiomes are found in our digestive organs. Although seemingly useless, these microbiomes are effective at controlling and reducing our digestive inflammation. This weird inflammation is typically the cause of other severe diseases and can also ignite mental illness.

According to the study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, 50 percent of the calories consumed in the United States are fibreless, ultra-processed food. This results in unhealthy microbiomes and digestive system damages. Unfortunately, the calorie rate stated is mostly consumed by the poverty-stricken population. The study shows that people who don't have enough money tend to consume more ultra-processed food. The reason why they heavily consume a lot of calories unknowingly is because of the lack of budget for healthy, fresh, but expensive food.

Sadly, the pandemic uncovers the dark truth behind our diet. But on the flip side, there is a bit of protection we have gathered against the virus. Now that we know how ultra-processed foods could cause spiking COVID-19 death rates, it can be prevented by lessening our calorie intake.